17. A Pattern

Shallan travels with the caravan as they flee pursuing deserters. She discovers a second smoke column ahead while being pursued by a third, forcing difficult tactical decisions. During a stop, she practices her newfound Lightweaving abilities with Pattern and learns that spren seek bonded companions for sapience, though Pattern fears all Radiant bonds end in death.

Shallan rides with the caravan on Tvlakv's wagons, using sketching and botany to distract herself from anxiety about deserters trailing them. She observes the parshmen slaves—named "One" and "Two"—and grapples with accepting them as dangerous despite their humble appearance. When a smoke column appears to the south (the pursuing deserters), Tvlakv and Tag suggest cutting eastward to avoid them, but Shallan realizes the deserters will simply take the easier prey and insists they head north toward a second, larger smoke column ahead, hoping the bigger caravan will provide protection. In the back of the wagon during the journey, Shallan examines her healing feet and experiments with Stormlight for the first time since losing Jasnah's book Words of Radiance in the ocean. Pattern reveals he came as a scholar seeking to bond with her kind, though he fears all Knights Radiant ultimately kill their spren—a pattern he expects will repeat with Shallan. She denies this, arguing she is not a true Knight Radiant. Pattern notes that Shallan spoke oaths and suggests her reliance on lies prevents full growth without incorporating truth. Using spheres of Stormlight, Shallan discovers she can breathe in the light and that it heals her wounds, though her attempts at Lightweaving remain unsuccessful. As the chapter ends, the caravan approaches the smoke column ahead, which now appears to be a large fire from burning wagons rather than a cook fire—suggesting disaster has befallen the group they sought as protection.